"We missed the anniversary of the attack on Newcastle [in WWII]," Fort Scratchley Historical Society president Frank Carter said.

"And we missed our annual fundraiser, which also turned out to be one of the nicest weather nights in the eight years of that event."

The lack of cruise ship activity also meant the fort's guns hadn't been firing.

"This time of the year we'd start to fire fairly regularly for cruise ships and other events, but there's been nothing going on," he said.

Seven rounds of a Mark VII six-inch gun were fired at Sunday's event. This included three rounds at midday and four at 1pm. The Time Gun also fired at 1pm.

Mr Carter said the event was about promoting the fact that "the fort is back again".

He said Fort Scratchley was "the only fort in Australia that can do what we do".

He said people like to see the guns fired at the fort, especially those that returned fire on the Japanese submarine I-21 in Newcastle on June 8, 1942.

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